Dr. Sathaporn Vathayanon

A sweet and gentle man with a big heart, Dr. Sathaporn Vathayanon (affectionately known as Dr. Sam) was born on April 25, 1934 in Bangkok, Thailand to Suwan Vathayanon and Thavornwan Vathayanon. Dr. Sam was the eldest of two children; his younger brother Bovornsak Vathayanon preceeded him in death due to complications related to Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis.

Dr. Sam grew up in Bangkok, Thailand and through the encouragement of his mother, he broke from his family military tradition and pursued a career in medicine. He graduated with a B.S. degree in 1952 and received his M.D. and graduated Cum Laude in 1956 from Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok, Thailand.

Dr. Sam arrived in America with the intent of returning to Thailand as he was very close to his mother. His post graduate training included an internship at Maryland General Hospital; Junior through Chief Resident in Surgery from 1960-1964 at University of Maryland Hospital; and from 1964- 1966 Junior and Senior Resident in Thoracic Surgery at the University of Michigan Medical Center. He continued his career with a Teaching Associate in Surgery (1964-1966), Instructor in Surgery Section of Thoracic Surgery (1966-1969) at the University of Michigan School of Medicine as well as Staff Thoracic-Cardiovascular Surgeon (1966-1969) at the University of Michigan Medical Center. Upon completion of medical school, Dr. Sam made the decision to stay in his adoptive country and became a naturalized citizen.

Dr. Sam was recruited by Dr. Byron Evans to practice medicine at Valley Children’s Hospital. He arrived in Fresno in 1969 and performed central California’s first coronary bypass operation in 1970. He had privileges at Valley Children’s Hospital, Fresno Community Hospital and St. Agnes.

One of Dr. Sam’s proudest memories was on June 11, 1985, when as chief surgeon he operated on a 7-year old Honduran Indian boy who had a rare but fatal heart defect. Called the Fontan procedure, at the time it was so rarely used, a heart specialist team might perform it only once a year and even more rare on a pediatric patient. His second proudest memory was helping with the 2004 Asian tsunami relief efforts. Dr. Sam went to Phuket, Thailand to help those in need of medical care. He was there for about two and a half weeks and saw up to 75 patients a day. It was not uncommon for former patients and relatives of former patients to approach Dr. Sam in the community and thank him for giving them more time to be with their loved ones. Dr. Sam was a beloved member of the Fresno community for over 50 years and will be missed.

Dr. Sam enjoyed relaxing at his Arabian horse ranch in Santa Ynez, CA, taking scenic walks and enjoying the sounds of nature especially hearing and watching birds, standing on the top step of a ladder to prune a tree branch far out of his reach! He had a passion for photography, writing, classical music and the arts. He enjoyed the company of his family and friends especially when sharing a good meal!

Dr. Sam died peacefully in his sleep on Saturday September 18, 2021. He will be deeply missed by many grateful patients, family, and friends.

He is survived by his children, Catherine Trapasso, Jeffrey Vathayanon and Jennifer Curti. He is also survived by his grandchildren, Camilla, Sophia, and Isabella Curti.

A graveside service will be held at 10:00am, October 8, 2021 at Belmont Memorial Park , 201 N Teilman Ave, Fresno, CA 93706.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions in Dr. Sam’s memory may be made to the American Heart Association, Website for donations: Heart.org, PO Box 840692 Dallas, TX 75284 or to the Parkinson’s Foundation, Website for donations: Parkinson.org, 200 SE 1st St., Suite 800 Miami, FL 33131

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.whitehurstsullivan.com for the Vathayanon family.